A new public elementary school is set to be built in Inglewood.
The Red Deer Public School Board voted in favour of approving the site for the new school at 99 Irving Cl. during last week’s meeting.
The elementary school will be home to 500 students and is projected to open in September of 2016.
“It’s been over a decade since Mattie McCullough was built and in that time the City has moved to the north and to the east and the projected growth area continues to be in those areas,” said Piet Langstraat, superintendent of Red Deer Public Schools. “This site has been assigned for a number of years, it is just now that we are going to build there. We are certainly in need of elementary space and this will help fill that need.”
The Alberta Government recently announced the district would receive a new school to address student accommodation challenges. While originally, the district anticipated the new school would be located in northeast Red Deer, the proposed site will not be available for construction for the next several years. In a review of other designated school sites the Inglewood site was the best alternative.
“The board did look at another site north of Barrie Wilson Elementary (the district’s newest elementary school set to open this fall) near the River Bend Golf Course area, but servicing to run that site probably won’t happen for another three to four years,” said Langstraat. “The board looked at the other options available to it and chose the Inglewood site and in speaking with the chair of the community association there, residents are excited to have a school in their neighbourhood.”
With approval of the location, work can begin on planning for the new school. Requests for proposals for architectural services will be received which will then be followed by tendering for construction.
Before the new school is open, Langstraat said the elementary school boundaries will need to be re-worked once again.
“This summer I’m going to be working on some draft boundary proposals and there will certainly be some opportunity for public consultation in that as well. It’s too early to say which neighbourhoods the new school will serve, but there will be a process that we will undertake.”
Langstraat said he understands the challenges of changing the elementary school boundaries again.
“The good news is there is going to be a new school to deal with the crowding issues we have in our elementary schools and hopefully this new school will allow families to go to school closer to home. Certainly there is an upside and a downside to changing the boundaries.
“But we are thrilled. Red Deer is definitely a growing City and it’s great to be able to build schools to meet that demand.”
efawcett@reddeerexpress.com
